I am glad you are here!

Minnesota Farm Living is about connecting consumers with those who grow their food. I share my passions — my life, my farm, and my family.

Please go grab a coffee and take some time to look around! Click on the Minnesota Farm Living 101 because it will help you know where to start. And if that’s not enough, I have made it easier for you to keep abreast of any new blog posts by signing up for my weekly newsletter.

Dr. Josh Axe published the second annual Chain Reaction II scorecard analysis of top restaurants on his website. The analysis supposedly highlights the “problem of routine antibiotic usage” in the meat and poultry operations that supply the nation’s top restaurant chains. The report is sponsored by organizations such as National Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Friends of the Earth and Center for Food Safety, organizations that reflect misinformation and ideology.

How restaurants are scored

To score an “A” a restaurant is required to only serve meat where animals have never been given antibiotics or given antibiotics important to human medicine. To score an “F” a restaurant serves meat that may have been given antibiotics and if they did receive antibiotics, have followed the prescribed withdrawal times to ensure the antibiotics are naturally removed from the animal before market.

The bottom line?

Both restaurants that scored an “A” or “F” serve meat that has zero antibiotics in the meat.

Just a perfect example of a bully pushing fake news and using intimidation to force these restaurants into making changes that are not needed. Your meat is safe.

Let’s examine the food fear and why words matter.

Let’s delve into some of the outright WRONG statements

The vast majority of this meat is produced in industrial-scale facilities where thousands and even tens of thousands of animals at a time are routinely fed antibiotics to help them survive and make them grow faster in unsanitary, crowded and stressful conditions.

Livestock animals are not fed antibiotics on a routine basis to help them survive and make them grow faster. Using antibiotics for growth promotion is illegal. Also realize that “unsanitary, crowded and stressful conditions” animals will not grow at acceptable levels and more than likely will not be healthy. Farmers can ONLY sell healthy animals so that statement is absolutely not true and is simply used as a scare tactic.

I hate the word “routine” because it implies they are used on an automatic basis. Not true.

Antibiotic resistance

This misuse of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance—the ability of bacteria to withstand exposure to an antibiotic.

Using the word misuse is just plain wrong. Farmers do not misuse the use of antibiotics.

Curbing the misuse of antibiotics in the meat industry is a public heath imperative.

Misuse is just not happening. Fake news. Antibiotics are used as a last resort, but we will use them if necessary. If an animal is sick, it is our responsibility to take care of them. And we make no excuses about it. Period.

. . . set rules across the industry that prohibit the routine use of antibiotics in food animal production for growth promotion and disease prevention, and to set baseline standards that limit acceptable use to treatment of sick animals and to control identified disease outbreaks.

Antibiotics for growth promotion?

Again, we DO NOT use antibiotics for growth promotion. Occasionally, we use them for disease prevention. Farmers, who work with their animals daily, really understand the types of stresses that may cause a disease outbreak. During those times, we use a few antibiotics to prevent a full outbreak instead of waiting for the full outbreak to happen and then use significantly more antibiotics to treat the outbreak. Again, common sense.

Another piece the report doesn’t touch on is the preventative measures farmers use to either eliminate or greatly reduce antibiotic use. We are continually making improvements to raise safe and healthy animals. But if that was in the report, it wouldn’t scare the bejeebers out of people reading it. And worst, no one would pay attention to it because there is no sensationalism.

I truly wish these kind of reports did not exist. It only works because consumers do not understand what farmers do every single day to raise healthy animals. And the authors know it. It’s used to spread fake news and put undue pressure on restaurants forcing them into policies that look good to the public but really don’t make sense or policies they can’t really reach.

So let’s say enough is enough. Seek out farmers. Ask questions. And use words that do matter.

Like this:

I absolutely love county fairs! Normally our “busyness” of the farm slows down in August, which is wonderful because county fairs in Minnesota are in full throttle. I look forward to this midwest tradition during the late summer season. Here are 10 reasons why you must attend the Martin County Fair!

I know I am biased, but we do have one of the better county fairs in southern Minnesota. The dates of our fair are August 14-20, 2017.

Free parking but there is a gate admission:

Age 9 and under – free.

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday – $6,

Wednesday and Saturday – $9.

Personally, I purchase the advanced season pass for $20 because I go nearly every. single. day. . . and you will soon find out why I feel the season pass is the “bargain of the year.”

So let’s get started with 10 reasons to attend the Martin County Fair!

Martin County Fair Fun

1. The Entertainment

This is what makes the season pass a no-brainer in my opinion. All the entertainment is performed in a small, outside park in an intimate setting. And . . . is included with your fair admission! Here is the lineup:

2. Pork Chop On-A-Stick

This deserves a category all it’s own! Just look for the gazebo (southeast corner of the industrial building) or use the nose test. You will smell grilled pork and lots of it. And inside the gazebo structure are pork producing families selling and grilling pork chops on-a-stick and pork burgers. We are the home to THEE MARTIN COUNTY PORK CHOP seasoned with our county’s very own, “Martin County Magic Seasoning.” What makes it really special is many pork families take a time slot and grill together as a family.

Martin County Magic Seasoning is the key to scrumptious pork chops!

3. “Other” Fair Food

Yes, there is other fair food. It’s not all pork. The fair board does a really nice job of bringing in a variety of typical fair food. Mini Donuts, Queens apples, cotton candy, hot dogs, cheese curds, french fries, onion rings, corn dogs, Gerhardt’s food trailer, Martin County Dairy Association with malts and much more. And don’t forget the St. Paul’s Lutheran church food building (and the yummy pies!) and the 4-H food stand. Make sure you visit both!

4. High Oleic Soybean Oil

You may wonder why this is making my top 10 this year. Well, some Martin County soybean farmers are planting a new soybean called a high oleic soybean. The purpose of the bean is the oil that it produces. The oil has zero trans fat and lower saturated fat. It also has a high heating cooking temperature and doesn’t break down so the oil lasts longer and makes the fryer cleaning much easier. So, the Martin County Corn and Soybean group donated all the high oleic oil for St. Paul Lutheran’s church stand, the 4-H stand, and the racetrack. It also is less greasy.

5. Quality Fair Buildings

I love the quality of our fair buildings. From the multi-purpose to the industrial buildings to the livestock buildings to the Keizer arena. They are all quality buildings and they elevate the caliber of our fair.

6. John Deere Day

Thursday is John Deere Day. Special activities hosted by Martin County Implement. Kids activities from 4-7 p.m. Free kids T-Shirts and caricature drawings ($10). John Deere remote control car/trike/kid gator races. Be sure to stop by for the fun.

7. Live Shark Encounter

There will be a live commentator diving for sharks. He will be giving a play-by-play while in the tank. Sound a little crazy? Go check it out!

8. Free Pork Feed and Pork Cook-Off

Are you hearing a recurrent theme here? More pork! It only stands to reason because we are the #1 pork producing county in Minnesota and #6 nationally. We love pork! Tuesday eventing there is a FREE (yest you read that right) pork feed and FREE milk starting at 5:00 pm. Wednesday night is a pork cook-off competition. Area restaurants/caterers prepare a pork dish and compete against their peers for the connoisseur and people’s choice awards on Wednesday evening. It’s fun to see the different pork dishes created by the competitors.

9. The People

I just love the people at the fair. You always, always see someone you know. Whether it’s friends, family or neighbors, they will be there. Growing up I went to the fair once during fair week. Now? I go almost every day. In fact, there have been times where I barely see any of the fair exhibits because I continually run into people I know!

10. The Exhibits – Animals, 4-H, FFA and Open Class

I love watching our young people and children competing at the fair. They showcase their hard work by bringing their animals and fair projects. Watching them work and seeing the pride they have with their animals is wonderful. It truly does restore your faith in our country’s future.

This isn’t a complete list of everything at the fair but these are my highlights. Check out Martin County Fair website to read a complete list of the fair events.

The fair is slow-paced, fun place to visit. Usually, the weather is great during fair week–warm days and cooler nights. I look forward to it every year (even though it usually means summer is coming to an end ) and I truly appreciate all the hard work our fair board puts in to make the fair better every year.

Like this:

I don’t think there are many occupations that are more busy than farming. On our farm, we have many days that start in the early morning and go to late at night. There is always something that needs tending to on the farm. But even though we are busy, it’s important for all of us to find time to be involved in organizations—both ag and non-ag. Here are 7 ways for farmers to be involved in your local community.

Why should you be involved?

Like this:

You’ve heard it. Many times. The consumer is always right. And you dare not question it. Ever. If you do, you will be scolded and/or mocked. I know, because I have walked those shoes.

Marketers live and die by that statement.

But what if, just what if, the consumer isn’t always right? What if they are right based on the information they have? What if they don’t have all the information and are making important food decisions based on lack of information or just plain wrong information? Especially when it comes to their food. Does it matter?

Yes, it matters

Because sometimes . . . information consumers don’t have about how their food is raised or grown affects our entire food system. Let’s take a look at the recent initiatives by the state of Massachusetts to outlaw the use of gestation stalls (gestation stalls are individual pens where sows are housed) as well as other animal welfare issues.

The new law in effect in Massachusetts

The new law will prohibit Massachusetts farmers from confining egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and calves raised for veal in spaces that prevent the animals from “lying down, standing up, fully extending its limbs, or turning around freely” — and the sale of products from animals confined in that way.

And it was passed overwhelmingly. 77.7% in favor, 22.3% against.Continue Reading

Like this:

Good day! I am Wanda Patsche, blogger for Minnesota Farm Living. I am a City Girl turned Farm Wife. My life joys are my family, which include six grandchildren! I love to travel, study family history and volunteer in agvocacy activities.